


Projections Part 5: A Promise of Forever

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [28]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Implied Sexual Content, Love, Romance, Series Finale (there will be a sequel!), Sweet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:22:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28748406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETESERIES FINALEThe Doctor and Rose celebrate one year of marriage at the place that started it all: Atlantis. And some very wonderful things happen.A year.That number holds little significance to him. He’s lived 906 of them. One is... minute. It’s infinitesimal; a drop in the span of the universe so small it doesn’t cross his mind. It’s just 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds.A year is arbitrary to him.Not this year.***Part of the Forever With You Series. Last one in this series but there will be a sequel, recommend reading others first if you have not, this ties things up***
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [28]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 8
Kudos: 128





	Projections Part 5: A Promise of Forever

She’s convinced Artron Energy makes her better at sex. 

She was lying on her back, drenched in sweat, after a rather ravenous and passionate bout of love making. It had all happened so quickly. One moment they were running back to the TARDIS, being chased by a very angry mob of wildebeests on the planet Nefrin, and the next they were naked and writhing on the floor of their bedroom, the desire so consuming in both of them they couldn’t make it to the bed. 

He had to go get water afterwards, something he’d never done before even after their most daring of shags, and the look on his face when he told her that was enough to make her want to slam him back down on the floor and do it all over again. 

She knew where this insatiable need to be with each other was coming from, of course. It had been one month since they saved the human race from Rassilon’s vindictive scheme and forever was knocking on their hearts, closer than ever before. It was making it impossible not to celebrate every small victory. 

There’s something to be said about surviving. 

He was still in the galley, possibly drinking a third or fourth glass of water, and she was a pile of limbs as she tried to shift off of the floor and find his Oxford, but she remembered it was thrown over the console and she didn’t think she had it in her to walk all the way out there, so she found herself sort of slithering up onto the bed and rolling onto her pillow with a huff, her abdomen a little sore and her legs still jello. He came into the room then and handed her a large glass of water, which made her moan for some reason, and he just clicked his tongue against his jaw and sat on the edge of the bed, watching her drink the whole thing in one large gulp. 

“Better?” he asked. She just flashed him a lazy smirk and collapsed onto the pillow again, and he took the glass from her and set it down on the bedside table before he crawled up beside her and laid on his back. He turned his face to her, finding her already looking at him and he smiled. 

And then, in a practically picturesque way, they went from being two people blinded by cravings and desires, to two people so blinded by love they just giggled as they looked at each other, and Rose kissed his nose. 

“I can’t feel my legs,” she said, laughing. He gave her an alarmed look for a moment until she snuggled into his side and he realized she was just being facetious, and he shook his head at her. He could feel her heart rate still pulsing rapidly in his ring and he chuckled. 

“I’m going to take that as a compliment, I think,” he murmured, and she traced circles on his chest and let out a sigh of content. 

“Mmm you should,” she said. He just bit his cheek, fully aware she would probably fall asleep within a few minutes, but she surprised him, sitting up less than a minute later with a wide grin on her face. 

“What?” he asked her lovingly, and she bit her lip. 

“What day is it?” she asked. He raised a brow at her, and she suddenly found the feeling in her legs had returned and she got up and moved to the closet, wrapping her body in her black robe before she slipped on some socks and darted to the galley to check the Earth calendar he had set up for her. He watched her leave with a puzzled expression and threw on a pair of boxers and a t-shirt and joined her, laughing when he saw her kneeling by a cabinet, pulling out metal bowls with a loud clunk and tossing them onto the counter. 

“Rose?” he asked, amused. “What are you doing?” 

She shot up and immediately had to grab a hold of the island, a little dizzy. She hadn't completely recovered from their rendezvous and, she just learned, it turns out even the Vortex can’t stop head rushes. He smirked at her, and she shot him a look, her tongue in his favorite spot as oxygen reached her brain again, and she sighed. 

“We’ve been married for one year tomorrow, mister. I have a surprise,” she said, and he smiled widely. 

“Better do it today, then. Tomorrow is booked,” he said with a wink. 

“Yeah?” she asked, smiling back at him and he moved to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her forehead. 

“Of course,” he murmured. He then pulled away, a playful smile on his face as he pointed his finger at her and began to laugh victoriously. 

“What?!” she asked, and he just shook his head. 

“You forgot! Rose Tyler!” he shouted and she immediately began to protest. 

“I didn’t forget! You just wiped all ability to think of anything other than sex from my mind and I -” she said, but he just smiled wolfishly at her and shook his head, playfully moving around the island back to her as she rolled her eyes. 

“I’m wounded, truly. I may never recover,” he said and she rolled her eyes. Their banter continued and caused his hearts to swell, until she pushed him out of the galley and told him to go do something else, and she’d call him when her surprise was ready. 

He grinned at her and ran to the library, and when he stepped through the archway the fireplace immediately began to roar, and he rubbed his hand along the wall. The TARDIS hummed in response, and he took a happy breath as he moved to his armchair and propped his feet on the ottoman. He closed his eyes. 

There’s something to be said about surviving. 

They didn’t immediately rush into a new adventure after they shot Rassilon through the black hole. They didn’t go see Jackie or even go back to the villa. They just stayed in the Vortex and barely got out of bed, both a little too high on each other after their discovery they didn’t want to do much else. 

He chuckled to himself at that memory, because honestly, who would have thought? He’s a Time Lord, the last of his kind, and, as he told Rose before, for many many many years he thought of himself as a fraud; destined to live out the rest of his regenerations in pain. 

It turns out he didn’t know the first thing about destiny. 

He sighed and watched the flames dance along the logs, counting the number of times they rippled. A part of him, a very irritating part that doesn’t seem to go away no matter how much he tries, a part that clings to the devil on his shoulder, was telling him this was all too good to be true. That the real pain and suffering will come when they live out Rose’s lifespan anticipating a way to make regenerations, and forever, possible, but it never comes. 

But it’s a small part, and he smashed it down quickly the moment the thought entered his mind. Mostly. He closed his eyes and sniffed, the warmth from the flames touching his cheeks and easing his wandering thoughts, and he continued to reflect. 

A year. 

That number holds little significance to him. He’s lived 906 of them. One is... minute. It’s infinitesimal; a drop in the span of the universe so small it doesn’t cross his mind. It’s just 365 days, 8,760 hours, 525,600 minutes, 31,536,000 seconds. 

A year is arbitrary to him. 

Not this year. 

This year had been, at times, excruciating. At times it was long and weary, but mostly, almost like a force of nature, it had been regenerating. The irony of that phrase was not lost on him and he smirked against the armchair as the flames continued to dance, and her face flashed in his mind. 

This year had given him more hope, more joy, and more love than he felt he deserved. It was coated in adventure and family. _Family._ In more ways than one. His throat tightened as he remembered Jackie’s embrace on their wedding day, or the look on her face when she told them they needed to find a way to change their fate so Rose could stay with him. 

She drives up the wall and is completely mental, but Jackie Tyler is one of his favorite humans in the history of the universe. Not that he would _ever_ tell her that. 

She knows. 

He thought about Tony, and how nervous he was to be around him when he was first born. He and Rose had left a trip to the Bahamas in the 23rd century to arrive in London in the latter half of 2007, tanned and smelling of sea salt as they bolted through hospital doors, tripping over orderlies, racing to the wing where Jackie was giving birth. 

He remembered that day vividly. He had her back for only a few months, and they had been jumping from planet to planet, trip to trip, problem to problem, clinging to this false sense of comfort that nothing had changed. But everything had. The thought of losing Rose had made him sad before the parallel world, but it took over his ability to reasonably function after it. 

And because of that, for a long time, the look on Rose’s face when Jackie handed her brother to her haunted him. She was so completely in love and amazed and overcome by the fact that human life works this way. One moment you don’t exist, one moment you do, and one moment you don’t again. He clenched his jaw so tightly in that hospital room because Tony was another bitter reminder of how short his time with all of them was, and he was afraid, petrified to get too close. 

He kept his distance from him. Much as he tried to do with his sister. But apparently it's an inevitable fact of the universe that the Tyler family can’t help but write themselves into the muscles of his hearts, making it so they beat for them. 

The words ‘Uncle Doctor’ rang in his ears now, and he chuckled. He’s properly domesticated now, enough so that it would cause every single one of his past incarnations to groan and reject him, but he doesn’t care. He can’t possibly care, because it’s taken him nine hundred years and ten bodies to finally understand that a love like this makes it all _worth it._

And that gave him so much hope it was dizzying. 

He thought about Martha and Donna, and how quickly the two of them embraced the universe and all its ups and downs. They were brave, adventurous, and caring, and he knew that both he and Rose needed them. Friendships in his past were fleeting, and he cleared his throat because he now had the audacity now to hope that they might be around for a while. 

Jack and Mickey, who had been there from the start of this timeline, had equally etched into his hearts in a similar way to Rose and her family. He was quite grateful Mickey came back, even though he had been annoyingly and confusingly jealous of him for the better half of two years. 

He realized in that moment, that ‘Mickey the Idiot’ was born out of that jealousy. He shook his head, feeling a small pang of guilt considering how everything worked out. Twice. 

The fire was dwindling a little, and he opened his eyes, watching as the flames fell back, twisting around each other until they were nothing more than embers, and he took a deep breath. 

His mother. 

That was the part of this year he never saw coming. Yes, he knows the timeline is hidden from him, but even if it wasn’t… He never ever thought… 

He could write a diatribe on why these projections rocked his world so remarkably. Each one upended his understanding of his place in the universe. They shattered his preconceived notion of what had happened on that horrific day, forcing him to rethink the meaning behind that big red button. They dared him to hope, encouraged him to embrace all that Rose had been saying for years and have a little bit of trust…

He thought about them every single day. Heard the words each one told him echo in his mind when he was in the shower or at the console, reminding him; begging him to believe that he deserves this kind of reward. 

That he deserves forever with Rose. 

He let out a long breath as her face came to him again. She had been the best part of this year tenfold. The best part of any year, all 906 of them. She was the axis of his universe and the very thing that keeps him fighting. 

His wife. His best friend. His Impossible human. Perfect, pink, yellow and gold. His hearts, mind, and soul. His Bad Wolf. His equal. 

She wasn’t Time Lady, but she sure as hell acted like it. 

He was lost in a sea of memories with her when she walked into the room and moved behind his chair, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing the top of his head. He hummed against her touch, and she found herself bringing her hands into his hair like she did on that night in the TARDIS after 2056, back when unspoken words lingered in the air and they had kissed each other senselessly as James and Rachel McKinnon. The night before Atlantis, the night before they started their adventure that changed everything. 

She grazed his scalp with her fingers and he inhaled sharply. That night he had tried to keep it all together, but tonight he groaned as she twisted and pulled masterfully on his locks, brushing her fingers down his neck and up again, and he whispered her name. 

“Didn’t we _just_ make love?” he said, but he was already moaning and she smirked. 

“So?” she said, and he shook his head. 

“Voracious,” he whispered, and she smiled. 

“Your surprise is ready,” she said. “Do you realize you’ve been in here for two hours?” 

“No,” he said, and he smiled up at her. “Can I come see?” 

She nodded and kissed him for a moment, letting her tongue tease him. His hand held her to him, cupped on the back of her head and they both smiled, before she pulled back and held out her hand, wiggling her fingers in the enticing way she does.

His hand slid into hers perfectly, and she had a look on her face that told him she was going make this torturous in the _best_ way, and sure enough she moved to kiss him again, pressing his body to the wall and making sure her breasts and hips were touching him. He gave in immediately and wrapped his arms around her as she played more with his hair, and his groin pulsed as she moved her hands to his tie and undid it in one swoop. 

“Are we doing this?” he asked, a small laugh peeking through his quickly rising state of desire, which he couldn't quite believe she was able stir up again so quickly after what they just did on the floor. She just smiled. 

“Do you trust me?” she whispered, and his hearts sped up a little. 

“Yes, of course,” he said seriously, and she bit her lip as she tied the tie around his eyes as a blindfold. 

He was smiling seductively at her, his boxers officially tighter than they were a moment ago as she grabbed his hand again and led him to the galley, helping him sit at the counter without tripping over anything. He could smell banana bread, and he found himself biting the inside of his cheek as he heard her put a plate down in front of him, and then took off his tie. 

His suspicions were confirmed as he saw a rather large slice sitting before him, still warm with steam rising up off of it and he just grinned at her as she sat across from him and also handed him a cuppa. “I love it,” he quickly said and she laughed. 

“Okay, well, you haven’t tasted it yet. And it’s just part of the surprise I swear, but, hopefully it’s the more yummy part so I thought it’s a good start,” she said, resting her chin on her hand. “I’m not a cook, remember that.” 

“Rose, it smells wonderful,” he said and smiled at her. “Thank you.” 

She bit her lip as he took a bite and his eyes widened. 

“Good?” she asked, and he swallowed and stared at her. 

"Brilliant,” he said. “It’s so funny, it tastes exactly like the kind my mother used to make.” 

She looked down at the loaf that rested in between them and nibbled on her bottom lip and he felt his lips curl into a soft smile. 

“What?” he asked her. 

“I found this,” she said, moving to the counter where she had hidden a small book, bound in red leather, and she didn’t have to hand it to him for him to know what it was. She looked nervous, and he immediately grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze, assuring her he wasn’t upset or taken aback. “I think the TARDIS wanted me to find it. It was just resting on the coffee table in the media room last week, and, well…” 

He took another bite and winked at her, and the smile she gave him melted his hearts. She handed the book to him and he opened it up carefully, where all of his mother’s favorite recipes from all over the cosmos lined the inside pages. She had been quite the baker, and she found treats from different planets delightfully fun to try and create for him and his siblings, and he found himself staring at the different recipes in awe, remembering each one.

“Come here,” he said, putting the book down next to him and reaching for her. She sat in his lap and they looked at each other, and his lips found hers softly. “Can I show you something?” 

“Sure,” she said, and his mind gently nudged hers as he rubbed his thumb against the small of her back. 

_He was no more than five years old, a toe head blonde, jumping eagerly in what she assumed was a Gallifreyan kitchen. All the appliances were unique and looked nothing like Earth, but his mother was there, talking to a man she realized must be his father wearing red robes, and the Doctor kept jumping, begging his mother in Gallifreyan to give him a slice of the bread._

_“Not yet,” his mother said, his language falling off her lips perfectly. Rose could understand it all, and smiled at the pout on his small face. “It’s not ready yet.”_

_“We’re Time Lords,” he whined. “Why can’t we speed it up?”_

_His father, who scooped him up on his knee, looked at him very seriously. He said his name in Gallifreyan, and sighed. “Time Lords hold time. We protect it, we do not bend it to our will,” he said. “Time is worth the wait.”_

The memory faded and her eyes fluttered open to find him staring at her in amazement. He brushed her hair behind her ear and shrugged a little, grabbing another bite of his bread. 

“Is this why you like bananas so much?” she asked with a smile, only half teasing. He swallowed his bite and made a face like he was considering her words carefully. 

“I think so, actually. I never thought about that,” he said. “That was my first proper lesson.” 

“Really?” Rose asked. He nodded. “Learning all about space and time over...banana bread?” 

“It’s really good banana bread, Rose Tyler,” he said seriously, and they both started to laugh. He hugged her, and she pressed her head against his. “Thank you.” 

“Mmm,” she said, and she smiled at him. “Ready for surprise number 2?” 

“Yes,” he said, and she pulled on his hand, leading him out of the galley and into the console room. “Rose, I’m in my boxers.” 

“I’m in my robe, we’ll change. Just look,” she said, and gestured toward the door. 

He looked at her, completely convinced that for however long they may have left travelling the universe he will never get over the sensation in his stomach when Rose pilots the TARDIS and takes _him_ somewhere. His Adam’s apple bounced as he pushed the door open, and he immediately groaned like he did when she won her bet with Queen Victoria, turning away from the door and shaking his head at her. 

“What?!” she asked and he just started laughing. 

“That was my surprise!” he exclaimed, pointing at the door. She rolled her eyes. 

“Well, I mean, what else were we going to do?” she asked, and he just shook his head at her. 

“Quite right. I guess this means we get two days now,” he said. Suddenly, he was grinning. “Right! Good! Time to change!” 

They walked out of the doors a few minutes later hand in hand, staring at the thousand foot tall white pillars with swirls of turquoise and violet running down the middle. The sea salt air welcomed them with open arms, and they grinned at each other as they heard the water below. 

It felt like no time at all had passed, and they ran down the path before them, figuring there was no better place to celebrate their anniversary than where it all began. 

Atlantis. 

The market was still bustling and the people were as friendly as ever. There was a buoyancy in the air, a light and happy feeling that wasn’t quite as strong as it was when they last visited, and Rose smiled, realizing their advice to Poseidon and Hades must have worked and the people were happy. 

He finally gave her that date he had planned, moving through the markets calmly, tasting different foods and looking at all the vendors. They were laughing and sneaking kisses, and they slowly made their way to the river, leading her to a part of the city they weren’t able to explore before. 

Aphrodite was standing in the middle of some flowers, and they both stopped when they saw her. She sensed them and turned around, a genuine smile on her face as she glided to them and clasped her hands together. 

“I must say this is a delightful surprise,” she said when she was close enough. Rose smiled at and hugged her, followed by the Doctor, and she gave them both contemplative looks as she pulled away, and shook her head slightly. “Your hearts are quite strong.” 

“Yeah,” the Doctor said, winking at Rose. Aphrodite just looked at him in wonder, and she moved back toward the flowers. 

“Come,” she said, and they followed her. “I’m sure you are here for a reason. Is everything alright?” 

“Oh, more than,” the Doctor said. “It’s our anniversary.” 

“I remember,” Aphrodite said, smiling at them both with kindness. “I was hoping you might return.” 

“How are you?” Rose asked. Aphrodite looked at her and then looked back at the hillside she had been staring at, where new buildings and technologies swirled with light across from them. The city appeared to be expanding and Rose stared at it, completely awestruck. Aphrodite took a deep breath. 

“We are thriving,” she whispered. “Much more than we ever thought was possible.” 

“I’m glad,” the Doctor said, and Aphrodite just looked at them. 

“It’s all because of you,” she said. They smiled at her, and Aphrodite just took them in. “I hope this isn’t too forward,” she said, and for a moment they both looked at each other, anticipating another quest. She laughed and placed her hand to her heart, shaking her head. “Nothing like that, I apologize. I just...Your hearts are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. It’s rather dizzying. Incredible, even.” 

“Oh, sorry, we -” Rose began, but Aphrodite just held her hand up and gave her another kind smile. 

“Dearest Rose,” she began. “It’s wondrous, that’s all. It’s what I sensed when I first met you. That this love between you was worthy. I am very happy to see it come to fruition.” 

“Me too,” Rose admitted with a laugh, and Aphrodite smiled at her. The Doctor was clenching his jaw, finding himself emotional again. Aphrodite had a way of making him think about love in a unique way, a way he can’t quite explain, and she looked at him. 

“You’ve let your hearts guide you, Doctor. Well done,” she whispered. He swallowed and sniffed, and squeezed Rose’s hand. “I don’t mean to keep you. I’m sure you are here to do some of that exploring you meant to do....What was it you said before, Doctor? Vacation spot?” 

He laughed then and nodded, and Aphrodite smiled brightly. 

“I am thrilled to see you both. If you need anything, please let me know. But if not, enjoy your stay,” she said. Rose bit her lip. 

“Thank you,” she said. “And I don’t just mean...you know, I mean...for everything.” 

“Oh, Rose,” she whispered. “Thank _you._ ” 

She peered over the edge again, and something in Rose told her to look as well. Dion was below, playing with some friends, and Rose realized Aphrodite had been keeping watch, as if she couldn’t quite believe he was still here with her. 

Rose moved to her and held her hand. Aphrodite looked at it immediately, not expecting to be touched, but she eased quickly and smiled at Rose with adoration. They both looked at each other for a lingering moment, until Rose stepped back and returned to the Doctor. Aphrodite didn’t say anything, none of them did, for they didn’t need to. The Doctor just held Rose’s hand and began to move through the flowers, and Aphrodite smiled as she watched them walk away. 

_It’s what you do with the time you have that matters._

As they walked up a set of marble steps, they both found themselves lost in thought and reflecting. The suns were setting, replaced by the triple moons against the water, and it all felt quite serene and pleasant as they sat on a bench and looked up at the stars that were starting to appear. 

Rose rested her head on his shoulder, and she felt something in his suit pocket. 

“I thought we said no gifts,” she said. He looked at her curiously as she pulled away, and he reached into his pocket. He didn’t put anything in it, and he felt his hearts start to race a little. 

“We...did,” he whispered. “I didn’t do this.” 

He pulled the object out of his pocket and realized it was the gem. His brow furrowed, and Rose felt like her heart was about to escape out of her ribcage, especially when a flash of light appeared in the sky above their heads. 

Followed by another. 

And another. 

The Doctor gripped Rose’s hand and slipped the gem back in his pocket. He could most definitely say he was nervous, and for the first time since the first projection he felt like he couldn’t stand up when he saw the pink light approaching. Something in both of them knew this may be what they were waiting for, and it came much sooner than either anticipated. 

The pink light broke off into three lights, and the Doctor’s jaw clenched tightly. Rose watched him, kissing his shoulder, as suddenly three people stood before them, still just an image, pixelated and pink, and his jaw trembled. 

“Hello,” the man in the middle said, beaming at them. Rose knew it was his father from the memory he shared with her, and he looked at both of them with pride. His robes draped down his sides and his voice boomed in a way that reminded her a little of Poseidon. Another man stood to his right, also wearing robes, and to his left there was a girl. 

Alice. 

“Oh,” Rose sighed, and her hand gripped his arm. The Doctor wasn’t speaking, and Alice stepped forward, smiling at him. 

“I didn’t come all this way to watch you cry, brother,” she said. 

Rose broke down at those words, too. All three of the projections watched as Rose kissed his shoulder and tried to help him reign in his emotions. He was overwhelmed. There were tears, but he was somehow not sobbing, and his brother stepped forward next. 

“Doctor,” he said Rose watched her husband laugh and he nodded, as if his chosen name was an inside joke between them. He stood slowly as his hand gripped Rose’s. She bit her lip and watched the Doctor take a deep breath and stare at his brother. 

“Hi, Brax,” he said. Rose’s throat was tight, and the two men just smiled at each other for a moment. “You look...old.” 

“You look...wet,” he said, and the Doctor just shook his head as the tears finally subsided and he wiped them away. “It’s good to see you.”

“Yeah,” he whispered. He turned his attention to Alice, who was still smiling at him. “Hi.” 

The way he said it sounded like a chime. It was full of pain and relief and joy, and Rose just held his hand, not wanting to let her words take up any of the time he had with the three of them. Alice, however, looked at her and tilted her head to the side. 

“You two are cute,” she said. “I miss you, brother.” 

“I miss you,” he said, the words catching in his throat. She nodded, and his father spoke next, ethereal and regal against the triple moons. 

“We have waited for this, my son,” he said. “You have done so very well.” 

The Doctor’s jaw clenched tightly and Rose felt his tension through their minds. 

_Breathe._

Her voice grounded him, and he let out air and squeezed her hand. 

“Thank you for...all of this,” the Doctor whispered. “I…”

“If you say you don’t deserve this I’m coming back from the dead just to slap you,” Brax said, and the Doctor just shook his head. 

“Fair enough,” he breathed out, taking a shaky breath. His father’s eyes looked at him in thought, and he smiled. 

“There’s a lot to do before the time runs out. Best to get started,” he said. The Doctor stiffened beside Rose and watched as his father turned his attention to her. “Let’s start with you, Rose.” 

Hearing her name made her feel dizzy and she almost stumbled back, but the Doctor managed to grab her elbow and balance her despite the pounding of his hearts. 

“You are unlike anything this universe has ever seen,” his father said. “I saw this timeline, and I saw you at the heart of it and I knew that so long as my son went back for you all would work out exactly as I envisioned. You are a Gift of Time.” 

Rose stared at him, and the Doctor’s jaw trembled again. “What does that mean?” Rose whispered. 

“It means you’re special. Which I know you both already know, but…” his father said, clearing his throat. “I am very pleased to meet you now, Rose Tyler.” 

“Do you have the gem?” Alice asked. The Doctor looked at her and he pulled it out of his pocket. Alice smiled. “Good.” 

“I didn’t put it there, I -” the Doctor began, and it hit him at the same time it hit Rose. The TARDIS was looking out for them tonight. Alice, Brax, and his father all smiled. 

“She’s as much of a rule breaker as you are,” Brax said. The Doctor laughed lightly as he watched his father point to a rock. 

“Break that open. It’s been waiting for you for a long time,” his father said. The Doctor turned to it and used his sonic, splitting the rock down the middle until it cracked and he could pull it apart. 

He suppressed a sob. 

The Doctor knew what was about to happen, what all of this meant, but that didn’t make it any less emotional or any easier to accept. Despite the year of hoping, the last month especially, being face to face with this moment was...overwhelming. 

Rose looked over at him and saw what looked like a needle resting in the Doctor’s palm. It was thinner than what she was used to, and there was a golden energy she recognized immediately swirling in the middle of the glass it attached to. The Doctor looked at her with wide eyes. 

“The High Council is gone, my son. You are the only one left. I once told you that we hold time and we do not bend it to our will. This is an exception. You have all you need,” he said softly. 

“Do it,” Brax said, and the Doctor clenched his jaw as he slowly walked over to his wife. 

“Rose,” he whispered, and she looked at the needle carefully. She didn’t know exactly how it worked, but her Instincts were wide awake, though even without them she could pretty much assume what was going on. She smiled at him. 

“I love you,” she said. Brax looked at Alice, and they watched as the Doctor pressed his forehead to Rose’s. 

“I love you,” he told her. “I…” 

“How does it work?” she asked, turning to his father so he could get his thoughts together. She knew he was happy and overwhelmed, and he took a deep breath as his father smiled at her. 

“They are called Huon cells. They will mold the Artron Energy in your bloodstream with your DNA and make it passive. They will be ready to be activated fully when you regenerate,” he said. Rose smiled. “There’s only enough cells to give you two regenerations, but...seeing as that’s how many my son has left, I hope that will be alright.” 

The Doctor let out a sob and gripped Rose’s arm. She kissed his shoulder. 

“Will I still be human?” she asked. Alice beamed at her. 

“In a way,” she said. “Human DNA. Time Lord lifespan.” 

“How is that possible?” the Doctor suddenly asked, tears stained to his cheeks. 

“I found a way to make this work,” his father said sadly. “If I could have held on to your mother just a little longer, I would have used every last drop. So when I saw the timeline...when I knew the potential, Braxiatel and I worked tirelessly to adjust the chemical makeup of this sample. For you, Rose.” 

The Doctor stared at them. He knew they must have done all of this when he was traveling the universe and ignoring Gallifrey’s calls home. When his children were disowning him and his wife barely speaking to him. 

He thought, for so long, that no one even noticed his absence, only now to find out…

He and his father had such a long, complicated, problematic relationship, but this wiped the plate clean. His respiratory bypass was engaged, and Rose noticed he looked paler than usual. She knew he was processing, so she kept going, aware that time was short and she let her Instincts guide her. 

“When we have children…” she began, and the Doctor’s eyes snapped to her at the word _when._ His father smiled. 

“The Time Lord DNA will be the dominant gene since you have so much Artron Energy in you as well, Rose. But I can’t guarantee anything. Ensuring their regenerations may be up to you.” 

“What do you mean?” the Doctor asked, and Alice winked at him. 

“Spoilers,” she said. Rose felt her stomach flip over. She could tell she had a humorous streak in her, and she knew the Doctor was right. They would have been good friends. The Doctor swallowed the lump in his throat. He could pester or panic about his father’s words, but he didn’t. 

He believed in impossible things. 

“Thank you,” he said, looking at all three of them with devotion in his eyes. “Truly. I…” 

“Just give her the injection and use the stone, there’s more to do,” Brax said, and Rose bit her lip. He reminded her a little of Jack, and the Doctor turned his attention to her, his eyes dancing with hers. 

“Do you want to?” he asked. Rose just stared at him. 

“Shut up,” she said with her tongue in cheek smile, seeing the slight gleam in his eyes. He grinned at her, and they both started to laugh. 

“Hold out your arm,” he said. She did and he just took a breath and shook away some tears, blinking a few times to refocus. When he spoke next, he was the Doctor she knew when she first met him, telling her the facts slowly and carefully. “It’s going to burn. Very similarly to how it feels when you heal yourself, but it will be all over and all at once. Head to toes, Rose. If you need to sit or grab onto me, do it. Scream, even.” 

“Okay,” she whispered. He took another breath. 

“Okay,” he said. He was starting to tremble, but he did his best to keep it together and ignore the new set of tears that wanted to fall. “It should only last about thirty seconds, at which time you’ll need to touch the stone. It will glow.” 

He slowed down, making sure she understood him. Her heart was racing, but she felt calm. It was a juxtaposition she couldn’t even begin to understand. All she could do was listen to his words and look into his eyes. 

“The gem will seal the cells. You might feel pressure, but it shouldn’t hurt,” he whispered. “Are you sure, Rose?” 

“Stop asking me that,” she whispered, so completely his, so completely happy it was giving her a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. “I gave you forever, remember?” 

His throat constricted and he just kissed her, salty tears trailing onto her lips as his family watched with smiles. “Ready?” 

“Yes,” she said, and he pressed the needle into her median cubital vein, injecting the liquid with the cells slowly. 

He was _not_ lying about the burning sensation, Rose realized immediately. 

She screamed within two seconds. It felt nothing like when she heals herself, and she will make sure to tell him that later, but at the moment all she could think about was... fire. She felt like a ball of fire, the way one might when they have a high fever only a thousand times more potent. Her limbs went numb and she collapsed into his arms and he held her, no longer crying as he watched her, making sure she was okay, and she just screamed. There was a tingly sensation in her fingers and toes, but she noticed her brain was untouched, as if the vortex was already so intricately weaved into her mind it didn’t need the cells, and it allowed her to feel everything more vividly than he realized, perhaps. 

And then it ended, and she was gasping as he held out the stone to her, and she touched it. She felt the pressure then in her mind, and she realized _that_ was what he meant, but that ended quickly as well, and she fell to her knees. 

“I got you,” he said, holding her. She looked at him, and when their eyes locked they both felt it, a deepening of their minds, and he just smiled at her. “Hello.” 

“Hello,” she whispered, and he hugged her tightly to him. “I love you.” 

“I love you,” he said at the exact same time, and they just laughed and held each other. Alice was crying, Brax was trying not to, and his father looked at him with pride. 

“There is more to be done,” he said. The Doctor looked at him, his body still clinging to Rose and he stood up, unable not to touch her as his arm linked around her waist. 

“What else could you possibly...this is…” the Doctor began, and Alice looked at Rose. 

“Do you know the sacred vows, Rose Tyler?” she whispered, and the Doctor felt like he died. Right there on the spot, completely dead. This was not happening. He just stared at Alice, so in awe of her and her strength. His sister, who never even got a chance to get her own regenerations, was offering this to his wife. He found himself crying again. He was bloody _emotional_ and it was downright embarrassing, but everyone understood. 

They were feeling the same way. 

“I...do,” she whispered, and bit her lip. She looked over at her husband. “I may have been reading about -” 

“I know,” he managed to whisper, and he winked at her. She smiled. Braxiatel cleared his throat and stepped forward. 

“As Cardinel, I have the power to perform this bond, stand here,” he said, and pointed to a spot by the bench. They both moved to it, and the Doctor found himself staring at the sky, at the spot in the universe that led him back to her. 

He looked down at Rose, and that devil on his shoulder told him to tell them this was all too much, that he didn’t deserve this, but Rose was smiling at him, and her heart was beating in his ring and her mind was humming with his, her soul wrapped up inside of him and he found himself kicking that devil to curb in this moment. 

_Regret. Not jumping when a heart had the chance._

He was so glad he made that leap. 

He looked at her, and squeezed her hand. 

_How long are you going to stay with me?_ he thought. 

_Forever._

They both cried this time. 

“Now, these sacred rites bond two Time Lord minds. It is a marriage ceremony. You two, we know, have defied all the odds and somehow managed to do that already, but...now it’s official,” Brax said with a quirky smile, and Rose just laughed. 

The entire ceremony was in Gallifreyan, and it was the longest conversation he had in his native language in hundreds of years. That alone made his hearts stop, but hearing Rose devote herself to Time and to him… 

He could barely get his sentences out when it was his turn, and Alice made some comment about how sappy he was, which made him laugh and pull it together a little. When the vows were complete, he kissed her, a custom not usually done in Gallifrey but he just couldn’t help himself, and he pulled her into a desperate hug as his eyes locked with his father’s. 

She was tongue tied and crying, and she just held him. 

“I…” he began to say, but his father held up his hand. 

“I was hard on you to prepare you, my son,” he said. “I know it was fraught. And difficult. I know there was a lot you didn’t understand. But each lesson was meant to guide you. You don’t need to say anything. We all know. We’ve watched this timeline unfold. Seen how every decision makes a ripple of others possible and a ripple of others disappear.” 

The Doctor nodded and his father stared at him carefully. “Time is like the Doppler Effect in that way, my son. The timeline you are on is loudest when we’re face to face with it, but remnant ripples may sneak up or linger...Before and after..Remember that.” 

“Okay,” he said, his brain not able to say more. He cleared his throat and Rose kissed his shoulder again, completely overwhelmed and dizzy; she just wanted to watch now unpack her thoughts later. His father nodded. 

“You asked your mother how she was able to watch you grow up,” he said. “We are the stars.” 

“What?” the Doctor asked, and his father nodded. 

“Those of us who were on the planet, we fused with various stars. It's how I knew these projections would work. We are stardust, dropping in at the right place and the right time. Something similar happened for your mother. She reminds me of your Rose in many ways,” he whispered. Rose bit her lip. “We are here with you.” 

The Doctor nodded, his hand tightly bound in Rose’s, and his brain simply couldn’t process any of it. 

“You two have many different timelines ahead of you,” his father said. “Some will be quite challenging.” 

“I imagine,” the Doctor said with a small laugh. Knowing their track record, he wasn’t surprised. His father just nodded. 

“You will be...fantastic,” he said, and both of Rose and the Doctor’s hearts stopped beating, realizing he truly _had_ seen the timelines as he described. They smiled at him. 

“Our time grows short, brother,” Alice said, and he looked at her. 

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save you,” he whispered. And she just grinned. 

“Don’t be! I’ve had fun watching!” she said with a set of perfect teeth, and he just shook his head at her. 

“I hope to see you again,” Brax said. The Doctor just looked at him. He opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it, aware that more impossible things just happened here, and he nodded once at him. 

“Your sacrifice, my son, saved the universe. I’m sure you are feeling unworthy of what took place tonight, but don’t. You’ve lived with your guilt for far too long,” he said. 

“Thank you,” he choked out, unsure of how his body was able to speak. 

They all stared at each other for a moment, and then they were gone. 

Rose and the Doctor didn’t move from their spots, hand in hand, staring at the land the projections just were for a few moments. A thousand words were swirling in their minds. They wanted to unpack it all, talk for hours, kiss, make love, cry some more. The Doctor needed her to explain his family's love to him again because he heard the words but it wasn’t clicking in his head, not yet. 

Neither knew where to begin, but forever was here. And that was giving him more hope than he knew what to do with. The potential for a fantastic, brilliant, wonderful life with his impossible human. He cleared his throat and looked at her, falling more in love with her in that moment than he had ever been before. He saw the triple moons reflect in her eyes, and he nudged his shoulder to her. 

She nudged hers back. 

“Looks like you’re stuck with me forever, Rose Tyler,” he said. He rolled his eyes inwardly that _these_ were the first words he chose to say to her, but she just wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. 

“Yeah, but, forever with you? That’s not so bad,” she told him, her eyes dancing with his. 

“Yeah?” he asked. 

“Yes,” she whispered, and they kissed again. He laughed and spun her around in a circle, and they knew the future was theirs to create. 

And what a fantastic future it would be.

**Author's Note:**

> THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU to everyone who read, commented, left kudos, bookmarked, or subscribed. This went in directions I never imagined and I just fell in love with this version of the Doctor & Rose and I can't wait to see what adventures they go on next. Some ideas are already brewing, so stay tuned! <3 Feedback always welcomed and sending love.


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